Free testing based on referral from family doctor to be launched in 8 cities

2020-03-19

BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN – In the next few days, expanded testing for coronavirus will begin in eight Estonian cities on the basis of a referral from a family doctor.

The first drive-in testing site will be opened in Tallinn, with similar testing sites also to be opened in Tartu, Parnu, Kuressaare, Viljandi, Narva, Paide and Kohtla-Jarve in the next few days. When ill, people have to call their family doctor, who will assess the patient's need for coronavirus testing according to the Health Board's protocol.

In the event of symptoms like a cough and fever, the person must call their family doctor or the family doctor hotline 1220, where they will be issued guidelines on how to act. Starting from March 16, the Emergency Response Center's hotline 1247 was launched to help answer key questions about the coronavirus COVID-19. The phone operates 24/7 and is free of charge.

The emergency number 112 must be called in case of breathing difficulties or lack of air.

The necessity of testing is assessed by a doctor and carried out for medical reasons. If a person falls ill, they should remain at home and, if possible, inform the people they have been in close contact with in recent days. With mild symptoms such as cough and low fever, people should stay at home and, if necessary, relieve the symptoms, preferably with over-the-counter medicines.

Subscribe!

A subscription to The Baltic Times is a cost-effective way of staying in touch with the latest Baltic news and views enabling you full access from anywhere with an Internet connection. Subscribe Now!

About The Baltic Times

The Baltic Times is an independent monthly newspaper that covers latest political, economic, business, and cultural events in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Born of a merger between The Baltic Independent and The Baltic Observer in 1996, The Baltic Times continues to bring objective, comprehensive, and timely information to those with an interest in this rapidly developing area of the Baltic Sea region. Read more...Our news analysis and commentaries provide readers with insight essential to understanding the three Baltic countries and their neighbors. With offices in Tallinn and Vilnius and its headquarters in Riga, The Baltic Times remains the only pan-Baltic English language newspaper offering complete coverage of regional events.